KwabaseRoma 15:4

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

4 Kuba izinto zonke ezabhalwayo ngenxa engaphambili, zaye zibhalelwa okwethu ukufundiswa, ukuze sithi ngalo unyamezelo novuselelo lwezibhalo sibe nalo ithemba.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

whatsoever: Romans 4:23, Romans 4:24, 1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Corinthians 9:10, 1 Corinthians 10:11, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:17, 2 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 1:21

for our learning: Rather, "for our instruction."

that: Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:24, Romans 8:25, Romans 12:12, Psalms 119:81-83, Hebrews 6:10-19, Hebrews 10:35, Hebrews 10:36, James 5:7-11, 1 Peter 1:13

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 2:2 - none holy Job 8:8 - inquire Psalms 19:7 - law Psalms 102:18 - This Psalms 119:50 - This Psalms 119:92 - thy law Jeremiah 30:2 - General Daniel 7:1 - he wrote Matthew 4:4 - It is Matthew 13:44 - like Matthew 22:29 - not Mark 1:44 - for a testimony Mark 12:24 - Do Luke 21:19 - General John 15:16 - that your John 19:35 - that ye John 20:30 - General Romans 2:18 - being instructed Romans 3:10 - As it is Romans 5:4 - patience Romans 16:26 - and by 1 Corinthians 1:5 - and in 1 Timothy 1:16 - for a James 1:3 - patience 2 Peter 1:6 - patience Revelation 2:3 - hast patience

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For whatsoever things were written aforetime,.... In the books of the Old Testament; the apostle says this, to vindicate the pertinency of the above citation, and to prevent any objection that might be made against it; since whatsoever was written in that psalm did not belong personally to David, but to Christ; and what is written concerning him, is designed for the use and instruction of his people; yea, whatever is written anywhere in the sacred Scriptures,

were written for our learning; to instruct in the knowledge of Christ, of his person, offices, grace, righteousness, obedience, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension; and of the great salvation and redemption he came to obtain, and has obtained; and to teach us the doctrines of grace, of pardon through the blood of Christ, atonement by his sacrifice, justification by his righteousness, acceptance in his person, and eternal life through him; as also to inform us of our duty, and how we ought to behave both towards God and men:

that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope; the Scriptures are not only written for our present instruction, but for the ingenerating, encouraging, and establishing, an hope of eternal Life in another world; which they are the means of, under the influence of divine grace; since they give us a clear account of eternal life; of the promise of it in Christ; of its being procured by him, and secured in him; of the means of enjoying it, through his blood and righteousness; of the declarations of God's free grace and mercy to sinners, and of the various instances of persons who have been made partakers of it; all which encourage to hope in the Lord, and to rejoice in hope of the glory of God; believing we also may have and enjoy the thing hoped for, "through patience and comfort of the Scriptures"; both which are encouraged thereby: the "patience of the Scriptures" is not a stoical apathy, a stupid indolence; and is of a different kind from that patience the writings of the Heathen philosophers define and recommend: the Scripture gives an account of the true nature of patience, in bearing all sorts of evils for Christ's sake; of the excellency and usefulness of it; and do strongly exhort unto it upon the best principles, and with the best motives; and are full of promises to the exercise of it, and furnish out the best examples of suffering affliction, and patience: "the comfort of the Scriptures" is such as is not to be met with elsewhere. These writings abound with exceeding great and precious promises, and excellent doctrines, big with consolation to the saints; and both serve much to cherish, support, and maintain an hope of eternal happiness; all which prove the divine authority, excellency, and usefulness of the sacred writings, and recommend the reading of them by us, and the hearing of them explained by others.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For whatsoever things ... - This is a “general” observation which struck the mind of the apostle, from the particular case which he had just specified. He had just made use of a striking passage in the Psalms to his purpose. The thought seems suddenly to have occurred to him that “all” the Old Testament was admirably adapted to express Christian duties and doctrine, and he therefore turned aside from his direct argument to express this sentiment. It should be read as a parenthesis.

Were written aforetime - That is, in ancient times; in the Old Testament.

For our learning - For our “teaching” or instruction. Not that this was the “only” purpose of the writings of the Old Testament, to instruct Christians; but that all the Old Testament might be useful “now” in illustrating and enforcing the doctrines and duties of piety toward God and man.

Through patience - This does not mean, as our translation might seem to suppose, patience “of the Scriptures,” but it means that by patiently enduring sufferings, in connection with the consolation which the Scriptures furnish, we might have hope. The “tendency” of patience, the apostle tells us Romans 5:4, is to produce “hope;” see the notes at this place.

And comfort of the Scriptures - By means of the consolation which the writings of the Old Testament furnish. The word rendered “comfort” means also “exhortation” or “admonition.” If this is its meaning here, it refers to the admonitions which the Scriptures suggest, instructions which they impart, and the exhortations to patience in trials. If it means “comfort,” then the reference is to the examples of the saints in affliction; to their recorded expressions of confidence in God in their trials, as of Job, Daniel, David, etc. Which is the precise meaning of the word here, it is not easy to determine.

Might have hope - Note, Romans 5:4. We may learn here,

1. That afflictions may prove to be a great blessing.

(2)That their proper tendency is to produce “hope.”

(3)That the way to find support in afflictions is to go to the Bible.

By the example of the ancient saints, by the expression of their confidence in God, by their patience, “we” may learn to suffer, and may not only be “instructed,” but may find “comfort” in all our trials; see the example of Paul himself in 2 Corinthians 1:2-11.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 15:4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime — This refers not only to the quotation from the 69th Psalm, but to all the Old Testament scriptures; for it can be to no other scriptures that the apostle alludes. And, from what he says here of them, we learn that God had not intended them merely for those generations in which they were first delivered, but for the instruction of all the succeeding generations of mankind. That we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures-that we, through those remarkable examples of patience exhibited by the saints and followers of God, whose history is given in those scriptures, and the comfort which they derived from God in their patient endurance of sufferings brought upon them through their faithful attachment to truth and righteousness, might have hope that we shall be upheld and blessed as they were, and our sufferings become the means of our greater advances in faith and holiness, and consequently our hope of eternal glory be the more confirmed. Some think that the word παρακλησις, which we translate comfort, should be rendered exhortation; but there is certainly no need here to leave the usual acceptation of the term, as the word comfort makes a regular and consistent sense with the rest of the verse.